ASG Senate discusses Weinberg curriculum change proposal

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The Associated Student Government-sponsored petition regarding the proposed Weinberg diversity academic requirement has garnered about 400 signatures as of Wednesday evening, Anna Rennich, ASG vice president for academics, said during Senate.

Before entering a lengthy and contentious debate over the Northwestern Divestresolution, Senatediscussed the student petition regarding the proposal to implement the Social Inequalities and Diversities requirement in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.

The requirement was first proposed in February 2013, when the University Diversity Council called for all six undergraduate schools to adopt a requirement compelling students to take a course focused on the diversity of cultures, identities and experiences in relation to social inequalities. It would be the first University-wide undergraduate academic requirement if approved. Two schools, the School of Education and Social Policy and the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications have implemented the requirement.

SESP senior Austin Romero, ASG vice president for accessibility and inclusion,called for Weinberg to consider a United States-centric curriculum, rather than an internationally-focused one.

“There is relatively very little student input and awareness and we want to change that,” Romero said.

A petition was circulated among students starting Feb. 9 that students can sign to show their support for their proposal. The petition is co-sponsored by ASG and multiple student groups.

The purpose of the proposal is to link students’ experiences in the U.S. to diversity and inequality, he said.

Rennich encouraged students to attend a student forum on Feb. 23 to voice their opinions on the issue.